


Behind the Veil

by ArchangelUnmei



Category: Harry Potter - Rowling, xxxHoLic
Genre: Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-02
Updated: 2010-09-02
Packaged: 2017-10-11 10:05:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/111218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArchangelUnmei/pseuds/ArchangelUnmei
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If this is the afterlife, it's a strange one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Behind the Veil

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers (obviously?) for OotP.  
> I've always been fascinated with the idea of the Ministry's Veil leading not to death but to another world. =) This idea came to me, and I had to run with it. After all, who knows what Yuuko has stashed away in her shop?

The last thing he remembered, Sirius Black had been falling through the Veil at the Ministry of Magic.

Now he seemed to be laying on his back on a wooden floor in a rather dark room.

Slowly he sat up, feeling to make sure he had all his limbs and waiting for his eyes to adjust to the light. There was a faint flapping sound in front of him, which made itself out to be... the Veil. Sirius's eyes widened a bit and he scooted back away from it out of sheer instinct. But... how? The Veils were at the Ministry, weren't they? He'd fallen through!

...Unless this was the other side.

Funny, this didn't look like the afterlife.

Now that his eyes were adjusting more to the darkness, Sirius saw he was sitting in some sort of odd store room. There were boxes piled around the edges of the room, strange knick knacks and oddities sitting on shelves. Several swords and what looked like a staff from a Muggle's version of a 'wizard' were shoved into an umbrella stand. One box was on its side and had come open, spilling styrofoam packing peanuts and what looked like several stuffed animals. One shelf held books with strange writing on their spines, all of them seemingly in different languages, and none of them English.

Sirius was just starting to get to his feet when he heard footsteps approaching outside the room. He spun around quickly, reaching for a wand that wasn't there, but frowned in confusion when he saw no door, just another blank wall. But the footsteps continued to approach, and a moment later a panel in the wall that Sirius hadn't realized was separate slid aside.

An Asian boy, looking maybe Harry's age, blinked in obvious shock at seeing Sirius there. He was tall and thin, wearing glasses as well as an apron and a cloth tied over his hair. That, plus the fact that he was carrying a bucket and rubber gloves, made Sirius assume he was here to clean the store room.

Sirius smiled charmingly and held up his hands to show he didn't have a weapon, trying to look non-threatening. Though really, what was the boy going to do, dump soapy water on him? "Eh... hello there... I seem to be lost..."

The boy stared at him for a moment, eye twitching. "Nani?! Nani ka? Gaaaah, Yuuko!!" He growled, obviously annoyed. He plunked the bucket down hard enough to make it slosh and put his hands on his hips, glaring at Sirius. "Dare ka? Ninhongo wakaranai?"

"Eh heh..." Sirius shuffled his feet a bit. Where the hell had those stupid curtains dumped him, anyway. "Um... I'm Sirius Black, a wizard from England..."

The boy blinked behind his glasses. "Igirisu? Wizaado?" He sighed and waved a hand at Sirius, then made a 'waitaminute' gesture and turned to storm off. "YUUKO!!"

Sirius was confused, but he was beginning to figure that was okay. Carefully he stepped around the soapy bucket and peered out into the hallway. Wooden floors more, paper walls... Damn, Muggle studies had been far too long ago. Though that probably wouldn't help him much anyway if he'd been dumped into an entirely different world. Maybe if he found a wand he could at least cast a translation spell, though...

He could hear the boy's voice coming from a half open door further down the hall, so he stepped out of the store room and started that way. He knocked politely on the wooden part of the panel before he stepped in.

The boy looked over his shoulder at Sirius, then stepped aside. Sirius found himself staring at a _very_ good looking woman lounging at a low table wearing not much more than long black hair and a half open bathrobe. He knew he was gaping at the ample amount of cleavage and leg that this revealed, but she didn't seem to mind. She just smirked, taking another puff of the pipe in her hand, and patted the cushion next to her invitingly.

Her eyes were knowing, her smirk shrewd. Sirius found himself rather wary, but at least she spoke English.

"Mr. Black, I believe you have a wish."


End file.
